Rome (Portland) Wasn't Built in a Day

Check out this cool link from Bike Portland that shows the evolution of Portland's Bike Way Network. Take Omaha's trail network, then add the Bike Omaha 20 mile loop to it to see where we are headed!!

http://bikeportland.org/bikewayanimation/

Another Bike Blender Update!

We are *this close* to having a functioning bike blender!! Major progress tonight! I think we will actually be ready for "product testing" next Wednesday if all goes well.

Here are some new photos. You'll see Scott and Duane...without them, this project is dead in the water. Thanks, guys - we appreciate all of your time. You'll also see a whole lotta rust and dust on this bike... if only we knew a couple of people who knew how to clean up a bike that could come next Wednesday to help. Hmmmmmm.
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Victory for Omaha Cyclists!

Great news from Ben about his court appearance today!!

The man that physically assauled Ben after a car vs. bike road rage incident last spring plead guilty today to misdemeanor Assault and Battery and was sentenced to 90 days of probation.

Here is the icing on the cake ... and bless Ben's heart, he totally gets that this is the biggest victory of all, even though he had to endure what he did ... the judge totally affirmed Ben's rights as a cyclist and actually referred to his preferred mode of transportation as a "two-wheeled vehicle." AWESOME!!

So - first and foremost: major kudos to Ben for keeping his cool in the first place in the face of felony behavior. Kudos to the witnesses that came forward and to OPD for understanding his rights as a cyclist that day; and kudos to the judge. A victory for all Omaha cyclists today!!

**ADVOCACY ALERT!**

Last minute info, but a very important opportunity:

A fellow cyclist (Ben B. ... he also works at Bike Rack, and he has given his OK for me to share this.) will be appearing in court on Monday at 9:30am. He was involved in an incident that resulted in a motorist being charged with harassment and physical assault.

The incident happened near 50th & Leavenworth back on Memorial Day. Ben was riding on 50th and trying to avoid the "door zone," as there were many parallel parked cars along the street from people visiting the cemetary there. The motorist apparently took exception with being forced to slow down and unable to pass and it digressed from there.

A blessing in disguise, the scene caused enough commotion that several cemetary visitors began wondering what was going on and came over to investigate. Someone wrote down the license plate of the car and there will be people from that day appearing as witnesses on his behalf. Ben stated that he has been very impressed with the OPD and the help he has been given.

Ben is not sure yet on the specifics other than Monday at 9:30am at the Douglas County Courthouse. Hopefully we will find out exactly where the hearing will be. It would be great if we could get some fellow cyclists to attend and respectfully show their support.

I will post here if I get that info. Please feel free to pass this along!

Something to Ponder

http://omahamandy.blogspot.com/2009/08/get-to-know-em.html

@ScottRedd posted a link on his Twitter today that is worth checking out. @omahamandy basically says that her view of cyclists on the streets changed after she took the time to get to know some of them personally.

As I responded to her, one of the nice little bi-products of the BOCC is that all of the people that know you as a co-worker now also know you personally as a cyclist...and they (hopefully) realize that you are just a regular person without evil intentions of ruining the world as they know it.

So... as we move forward with advocacy, how do we promote this "I'm a Cyclist" concept?

Halloween - on your bike

Tomorrow is Halloween. Many of us will be getting our kids dressed and ready to make their candy collecting rounds tomorrow night. But before you get your kids ready to trick-or-treat, maybe you should get some time in on your bike. That way you can eat an extra peanut butter cup (or 10) without feeling too guilty about all those calories.

If you’re available from 10:30am till 3:00pm tomorrow, you can bring your bike here, and participate in the second annual Spooks On Spokes ride. The ride/race will take place throughout this general area.

Similar to an Alleycat race, this event incorporates all types of urban and suburban riding. Part of the adventure is the unknown. You won't know what you're in for until the race begins. Expect mildly difficult terrain, mileage and challenges. Terrain will be mixed, therefor road, mountain or comfort bikes will work. Expect the unexpected, but expect the event to last between 2 and 4 hours depending on your skills.

The event starts after each person is given a manifest. The manifest consists of a list of checkpoints they must find. There will be a 15-minute period to ask questions before the race begins. Each item on the manifest will be revealed after solving a puzzle or riddle. After studying the manifest all participants are released at 11-AM to begin the adventure. Event ends at 3:00-pm Sharp! Categories are: Teams of 2, Geared and Fixed/Single Speed bikes. Participants choosing to compete as a team must remain within 50-feet of one another at all times. Halloween costumes are encouraged, but not expected or required. Your choice.

Be sure to check out the official website for all the details.

Get out there and Bike Omaha.

What is Bike Omaha reading?

Here at Bike Omaha we read a lot in an attempt to stay informed about bike related news around the world that may be of help with our goal of getting more people in Omaha out riding bikes for fun or for utility.

Many of the Bike Omaha staff has been reading the "Pedaling Revolution" book by Jeff Mapes (seen at left).  It's a great read.  You can read some of our reactions in the comments of an earlier post here at Bike Omaha.  If you are at all interested in cycling for fun or utility, we highly recommend it.  You can find a copy at the Omaha Public Library as well.

Here are a few articles and news sources that we have read recently that you may find interesting.

The Bike Sharing Blog

Boulder bike count finds parking shortage

Understanding Barriers to Bicycling

Omaha bike event "Spooks on Spokes"

USA Today Anti-cyclist article

Could Omaha do a Ciclovia on World Health Day?

Gingrich: Bike power

Enjoy the reading and get out there and Bike Omaha.

Blender Wednesday!

OK, yes, I admit it, I'm obsessed with the bike blender thing. And, yes, I'm probably being a bit overbearing about this project. But it is SO COOL and I know that you have got to be a little bit curious about how this is going!! So... we need some more helpers this week!

Please think about coming down to the CBSO on Wednesday night around 6ish. (Cali Tacos at 5:30ish if you're so inclined.)

See, it's a homemade, pedal-powered blender that we're installing on a vintage FOLDING TANDEM!!! I dare say that this combination of words has never been put together before in the history of the English language.

So, you're gonna be there, right?

Community Bike Shop Omaha - October Newsletter

The Community Bike Shop Omaha has released their October Newsletter. The September newsletter is also available if you missed it.

Rolling Advocates in Action

Many thanks to Scott and Joel for helping out at the Activate Omaha booth today during the Union Pacific employee Health and Wealth fair! They represented us perfectly, and were able to speak to all things cycling in Omaha. Scott was very helpful in talking to his fellow employees about routes they could take to ride to work. (Scott gave up his lunch hour to help us at the booth!!)

Twitter's @OmahaCyclist commented the other day that "Omaha cyclists are rolling advocates." We could not agree more, and can't wait how many others we can get plugged into community outreach!